Since the fixtures were announced earlier this year, the voices calling for the Republic of Ireland to boycott its Nations League games against Israel have grown progressively louder. They come from all quarters: from former Ireland players to diehard green jersey fans and from politicians to big names in other sports.
The two soccer games are going ahead, behind closed doors and with minimum coverage; Israel’s “home” game in Debrecen, Hungary on Sunday, with the return fixture also in the neutral venue of Backa Topola, Serbia on October 4th.
The FAI says Ireland has too much to lose; the penalties for boycotting the fixtures would be huge. But would they?
A war of words has now broken out between Republic of Ireland manager Heimir Hallgrímsson and the Israel FA. “We are not playing with genocide, we are playing against genocide,” he said. Israel responded by calling Hallgrímsson’s use of the word “genocide” as the embodiment of “stupidity, ignorance and hypocrisy”.
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According to Irish Times sports writer Gavin Cooney, who will be covering the games, the days ahead are likely to bring more tension and acrimony – but no boycott.
Presented by Bernice Harrison. Produced by Suzanne Brennan.
